The following table outlines the basic ranks one would find in an infantry battalion. Colonels and General Officers have been omitted from the discussion below for the sake of brevity, as have civilian administrators, officials, etc., which may have been attached to the various military forces.

The discussion of responsibility is in general terms and refers to textbook practices; in reality, field units of any army rarely saw action at full strength, and junior ranking soldiers and officers were often placed in positions not normally permitted in peacetime or normal circumstances.

The table, then, is merely a guide to intended practice, but may still serve to illuminate basic questions of command and how the various ranks related to each other, and by extension, to ranks in other armies.

Rank Table

German Army Table of Ranks 1941 - 45(Ranks shown in descending order, highest at the top)

Private Soldiers

Non-Commisioned Officers

Officers

Mannschaften (Men)

Unteroffiziere mit Portepee(Senior NCOs)

Stabsoffiziere(Field Grade Officers)

Stabsgefreiter(1)

Worn on left sleeve

Stabsfeldwebel

Oberstleutnant

Obergefreiter

Worn on left sleeve

Oberfeldwebel

Major

Gefreiter

Worn on left sleeve

Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee(Junior NCOs)

Hauptleute (Captains)

Feldwebel

Hauptmann

Oberschütze Obergrenadier etc.

Worn on left sleeve

Unterfeldwebel

Leutnant (Lieutenants)

Oberleutnant

Schütze Grenadier Kanonier etc.

(2)

Unteroffizier

Leutnant

Notes to Table

(1)

Until 1942/43, an Obergefreiter with more than 6 years service wore a single chevron with a pip added.

(2)

Schützen etc. wore no special rank insignia.

Responsibility Table

In the German Army, all Mannschaften were considered private soldiers, not non-commissioned officers, and as such had no command responsibilities, generally speaking. Promotion to Gefreiter or Obergefreiter was based on time served and not associated with appointment to leadership duties, though merit did still play a role. Promotion to Oberschützen appears to have been tied to service also, and usually was awarded to soldiers who prospects of a career in the military were dim - the time requirement for promotion to Gefreiter was less than that for Oberschütze. Those who showed merit became Gefreiten, those who did not, apparently, were promoted to "ober-"

The rank title for a private in the infantry was Schütze; in late 1942 this was changed to Grenadier by order of Hitler, who wanted to associate the Army with the forces commanded by Frederick the Great, a personal hero of his. Other rank titles included Kanonier (artillery), Reiter (cavalryman), etc.

In general, German infantry squads were led by an Unteroffizier.

The rank of Oberfeldwebel was usually associated with support trades, and the highest appointment in a German infantry company for an NCO was that of Hauptfeldwebel. The Hauptfeldwebel was the equivalent of a British Company Sergeant Major or American Company First Sergeant, and handled the administrative workings of the company. He was also expected to take over leadership of one of the infantry platoons when necessary due to enemy action.

The rank of Stabsfeldwebel was reserved as a reward for regular army NCOs who had signed on for long enlistments prior to WW II.

Size of Unit

Required leadership

Typically led by

Squad(10 men)

Unteroffizier

All ranks from Unteroffizier down to Schütze could be found leading squads, depending on casualties suffered previously.

Platoon(50 men)

One platoon per company was led by an officer(usually Leutnant)The other two platoons by a Feldwebel or Oberfeldwebel

It was not unusual in action to see all three platoons led by NCOs - sometimes by the Hauptfeldwebel (see above)

Company(201 men)

Generally commanded by an Oberleutnant or Hauptmann.

An officer holding the requisite training and time in rank to command a company was called a "Kompanie Chef" (Company Chief).

An officer in temporary command of a company was known as a "Kompanie Führer." Men ranked Leutnant often commanded companies in the absence of "qualified" leadership.

Battalion(861 men)

Major or Oberstleutnant

Generally a Major or Oberstleutnant.

In badly shattered units even a Leutnant might be found commanding the remnants of a battalion, or battalion-sized battlegroup.